Lead-wire bending apparatus



June 11, 1963 c. LENz ETAL LEAD-WIRE BENDING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 31. 1960 FIG. l.

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June 11, 1963 c. LENZ ETAL 3,093,164

LEAD-WIRE BENDING APPARATUS 1777- ZA/E Y,

States The present invention relates .to apparatus for manufacturing incandescent lamps and, more particularly, to a device for bending the lead wires of the stern for an incandescent lamp.

Heretofore filament mounts for vertical-lament incandescent lamps have been fabricated on a conventional mount-making machine of the Itype shown in U.S. Patent No. 1,907,532, issued `May 9, 1933, to l. Flaws, Ir. At one of the work stations of this conventional mountmaking machine, a right angie bend is formed in each of the lead wires (preparatory for the automatic mounting thereon of a vertically disposed filament) by a bending apparatus similar to the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,683,473, issued July 13, 1954, to J. Flaws, Ir. et al.

The sharp bends produced in such lead wires by the conventional bending apparatus tend .to make the lead wires stick to the bending device after formation. As a result, these stuck formed ylead wires are deformed by the retraction of the conventional bending apparatus, thus producing a defective stem. This deformation of the stem is further enhanced by the ductile characteristics of the lead wires themselves. As another disadvantage the conventional lead-wire bending apparatus is not provided with a means for readily varying the amount of over bend in lthe lead wires to compensate for the spring back in such lead wires, which spring back varies from one group oi lead wires to another.

It is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties of and objections to prior art practices by the provision of an improved apparatus for bending the lead wires of a stem for an incandescent lamp.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved apparatus for bending the lead wires of incandescent lamp stems to a desired configuration, which yapparatus is adapted to `eliminate the sharp bend in the lead wires thereby permitting each of the bending members to release itself from engagement with the associated bent lead wire preparatory for retraction of the improved lead-wire bending apparatus.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved apparatus for bending the lead Wires of incandescent-lamp stems, which apparatus is adapted Ito readily provide any desired amount of over bend in such lead wires.

The aforesaid objects of the invention, and other` objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by providing an improved apparatus for bending a supported lead wire of an incandescent-lamp stem, which apparatus has a bending member rotatable on a shaft and engageable by means of a disengageable coupling means with an anvil which is affixed to the shaft, the bending member being adapted while in a lead-wire receiving position to cooperate with a guide means for the reception of such lead Wire between the anvil and the guide means, and such :bending member being then rotatable to bend the lead wire around said anvil to the desired angular configuration and to cause the coupling means to thereafter engage an adjustable stop means, which disengages the bending member from .the anvil thereby freeing the bending member from the now bent lead wire preparatory for the retraoting movement of the bending apparatus.

arent For a better understanding of the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIG. l is a front-elevational view of a lead-Wire bending station of a filament-mounting machine and showing an incandescent-lamp stem after it has been indexed into the lead-wire bending station adjacent the improved lead-wire bending apparatus of the present invention preparatory for the start of the lead-Wire bending operation;

FIG. 2 is a side-elevational view taken from the right side of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a plan view taken along the line III--Ill of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary front-elevational view similar to FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal-sectional View taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and showing the position of lthe operating elements of the lead-wire bending apparatus after the lead wires have been bent to the desired configuration preparatory for the disengagement of the bending members from the now-bent lead wires;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIGS. 4 and 6 and showing the position of the operating elements of the leadwire bending apparatus after the bending members have been disengaged from the now-bent lead wires;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the bending member;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the anvil and its associated pawl.

Although the principles of the invention are broadly applicable to the bending of the lead wires of stems for iluorescent lamps, discharge devices and incandescent lamps, the invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the bending of the lead wires of incandescent-lamp stems preparatory for the mounting thereon of a vertically disposed lilament and hence it has been so illustrated and will be so described.

With specic reference to the form of the present nvention illustrated in the drawings, and referring particularly to FIGS. l and 2, a frame for the improved lead-wire bending apparatus of the present invention is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, which frame 10 is located at a lead-wire bending station of a filament-mounting machine of the type shown in the above-mentioned U.S`. Patent No. 1,907,532.

To vpermit the horizontal reciprocation of the irnproved lead-wire bending apparatus into and out of engagement with lead wires 12L and 121' of an incandescent lamp stem 14, such lead-wire bending apparatus has a horizontally reciprocable carriage 16 (FIGS. l-7). This carriage 16 comprises essentially a slide block 18 (FIG. l) mounted in a dovetail on the frame 10 and a pair of side plates 20L and 201' upstanding from the slide block 18. In order -to cause the movement of the carriage 16 a distance d1 (FIG. 2) to the left from the solid-line position shown in FIG. 2 to the dotted-line position shown in such figure, a roller 22 on the slide block 18 is biased by means of a compression spring 24 into engagement with a cam 26 upstanding from a platform 28. This platform Z8 is mounted on an operating rod 30 which is reciprocable 'vertically by a conventional camdriven linkage (not shown) connected to the operating rod 30. During such reciprocation `the platform 28 rides on a vertical guide 32 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

As shown in FIG. 2, upward movement of the plat form 28 and operating rod 30 a distance d2 from the solid-line position shown in such figure causes the cam 26 to move the carriage 16 to the left (against the action of the spring 24) a distance d1 from the lsolid-line position shown in such figure to the dotted-line position shown therein. During this lateral movement of the carriage 16 to the left, the stationary lead wires 12L and 12rare positioned in movable guide slots 34L and 34r respectively, preparatory for the lead-wire bending operation. The guide slot 34L (FIG. 3) is defined on one side by a stationary upper guide 36L and a bending lug 37L of a bending member SSL (operable at the start of the lead-wire bending operation as a lower continuation of the stationary upper guide 36L, FIGS. l and 4) and such guide slot 36L is defined on the other side by a conically-tipped anvil 40L. As shown in FIG. 8 the bending lug 37L projects longitudinally from a hub-like body 39L of the bending member 38L. In like manner the guide slot 34r is dened on one side by a stationary upper guide 361' and a bending lug 37r of a bending member 38r and on the other side by a conically-tipped anvil 40r. The stationary upper guides 36L and 36r are mounted on the side plates 20L and 20r respectively. As hereinafter explained in detail, the bending members BSL and 38r are rotatable with the anvils 40L and 40r respectively (about a common pivot) to bend the respective lead wires 12L and 12r around the anvils 40L and 401A to the desired angular configuration.

Since the (upper left-hand) lead-wire bending device (FIGS. 1 and 4) comprising essentially the anvil 40L and the bending member 38L is substantially identical in structure and operation to the (lower right-hand) leadwire bending device comprising essentially the anvil 401' and bending member 38r, it is deemed suflicient to describe only one (upper left-hand of the lead-wire bending devices. It will be understood that all identical reference numerals refer to the same part with the letter following all such reference characters indicating either the right hand (r) or left hand (L) element, as viewed in the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 5, the anvil 40L is axed to a rotatable member, such as a shaft 42L, journalled in a mounting means, such as a slide block 44L, which slide block 44L is vertically reciprocable in the carriage 16 as hereinafter related. From a consideration of FIG. it will be apparent that the shaft 42L is secured against longitudinal displacement in the slide block 44L by a collar 46L on one end of such shaft 42L and a pinion gear 48L on the opposite side of the slide block 44L, both of which are pinned to the shaft 42L. The anvil 40L is similarly pinned to the remaining end of the shaft 42L, with the bending member 38L retained between the pinion gear 48L and the anvil 40L and freely rotatable on the shaft 42L. The coupling means utilized to cause the bending member SSL to normally rotate with the anvil 40L comprises a pawl SOL (FIG. 9) pivotable at S2L on the anvil 40L and having a coupling 'end 53L biased by a torsion spring 54L into engagement' with a longitudinal slot SSL (FIGS. 5 and 8) in the body 39L of the bending member 38L. `As shown in FIGS. l and 4, the pawl SOL initially disposes the bending lug 37L on the left side of the lead wire 12L as a lower continuation of the fixed upper guide 36L.

In order to utilize the further continuous upward movement of the platform 28 a distance d3 (FIG. 2) as the drive means for elevating the slide block 44L (and to simultaneously cause the bending member 38L to form the lead wire 12L about the anvil 40L as hereinafter related), the slide block 44L carries a contact means, such as an adjustably mounted elevating rod S6L (FIG. l), which rod S6L depends below the carriage 16 and is engageable by a pusher plate S8 mounted on the platform 28. To provide biasing means so that the slide block 44L will ride along the side plate 20L in frictional engagement therewith during such upward movement, each of a pair of headed bolts 60L is threadably secured (FIG. 5) in the slide block 44. Each bolt 60L extends through a clearance slot 62L (FIG. 5) in the side plate L and through a slide-retaining plate 64L, and each 4 such bolt has a compression spring disposed between the slide retaining plate 64L and the head of the bolt 60L.

When the pusher plate S8 (FIGS. 1 and 2) engages the bottom portion -of the elevating rods 56L and S61', the slide blocks 44 are moved upwardly a distance d3 (FIG. 2) from their starting position shown in FIG. 4 to the final position shown in FIG. 7. During this upward movement the pinion gear 48L which is in engagement with a stationary rack 6SL (mounted on the side plate 20L) is simultaneously rotated in counterclockwise direction through a predetermined angle, as viewed in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7. As a result the shaft 42L, anvil 40L (afxed to the shaft 42L) and the bending member 38L (connected by the pawl SOL to the anvil 40L) are also rotated in counterclockwise direction from the starting position shown in FIG. 4 to the intermediate position shown in FIG. 6, thus causing the rotating anvil 40L to ride upwardly on the stationary lead wire 12L and the rotating bending member 38L to bend the lead wire lZL around the anvil 40L to the desired configuration.

By the time the above-described operating members have reached the intermediate position shown in FIG. 6, the bending of the lead wire 12L has been completed and an operating end 70L of the pawl SOL is about to engage a stop means, such as a stop 72L, adjustably mounted on the stationary upper guide 36L (FIG. 3).

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that by varying the distance which the elevating rod 56L depends below the carriage 16 and the distance the stop 72L projects beyond the stationary upper guide 36L, the amount of overbend provided in the lead wire 12L may be varied as desired.

Further rotation of the shaft 42L and the anvil 40L affixed thereto from the intermediate position shown in FIG. 6 to the final position shown in FIG. 7 causes the coupling end 53L of the pawl SGL to be withdrawn (against the action of the torsion spring S4L) from the longitudinal groove SSL in the body 39L of the bending member 38L so that the latter gravitates in clockwise direction from the intermediate position shown in FIG. 6 to the final position shown in FIG. 7, thus releasing the now-bent lead wire 12L preparatory for retraction of the lead-wire bending device.

Thereafter, the carriage 16 is retracted to the right a distance d1 (FIG. 2) from the dotted-line position shown in FIG. 2 to the solid-line position shown in such figure (by the lowering of the platform 28 and the cam 26 and operation of 4the spring 24). Such retraction is accomplished without deforming the now-formed and released lead wire 12L.

As the pusher plate 58 nears the end of its downward travel (the solid-line position in FIG. 2), such pusher plate 58 engages a collar 74 on a lowering rod 76L, which rod 76L is adjustably mounted in the slide block 44L, depends below the carriage 16 a greater distance than the elevating rod 56L, and extends through the pusher plate 58. Thereafter, continued downward movement of the pusher plate 5S and the platform 28 to the solid-line position shown in FIG. 2, simultaneously lowers the slide block 44L and causes the stationary rack 68L to rotate the pinion gear 48L, `the shaft 42 (which carries `gear 48L), the anvil 40L (on the shaft 42L) in clockwise direction thus moving the operating end 70L of the pawl SOL away from the stop 72L and permitting the torsion spring 54L to move the coupling end 53L of the pawl SOL into engagement with the longitudinal groove SSL in the bending member SSL. Thereafter further clockwise rotation of the anvil 40L returns the bending member 38L (now coupled to the anvil 40L) to the starting position shown in FIG. 4 where the bending lug 37L of such bending member 38L again functions as a lower continuation of the stationary upper guide 36L preparatory for the next leadwire bending operation.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the objects of the present invention have been achieved by the provision of aan improved lead-wire bending apparatus which eliminates sharp bends in the lead wires and is operable to automatically release itself from engagement with the bent lead Wires preparatory for retraction of such lead-wire bending apparatus Without .deformation to the bent lead wires. Additionally, such improved lead-wire bending device is operable to provide any desired amount of overbend in such lead wires, thus readily adapting itself yfor use with groups iof lead Wires having variable spring back characteristics.

While in accordance with the patent statutes, a preerred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and `described in detail, it is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.

We claim:

1. Apparatus `for bending a supported lead wire of `au electric lamp, said apparatus comprising:

(a) mounting means;

(b) a rotatable member on said mounting means;

(c) `an anvil affixed to said rotatable member;

(d) a bending member rotatable on said rotatable member, the portion of said lead wire desired to be bent positioned between said anvil and said bending member;

(e) coupling means aiiixed to said anvil for iirst connecting and later disconnecting said bending member from said anvil;

(f) drive means operatively associated with said rotatable member for causing rotation of said anvil and said bending member connected thereto; and

(g) stop means aixed to said mounting means for limiting the rotation of said bending member `and for causing said coupling means to disconnect said bending member from said anvil; the components comprising said apparatus coacting in the following fashion:

(l) rotation of said rotatable member by said `drive means through a predetermined angle causing said bending member .and said anvil to rotate and to bend through 'a predetermined vangle the portion of said lead Wire positioned therebetween;

(2) further rotation of said rotatable member -by said drive means causing said coupling means to abut against said stop means and disconnect said bending member from said anvil; and

(3) said bending member upon being disconnected from said anvil operating to move from contact with said supported lead wire to permit said apparatus to move from engagement with said supported lead wire.

2. The apparatus as specified in claim l, wherein said stop means is adjustable to regulate :the predetermined angle through which said rotatable member will rotate before said coupling means contacts said stop means.

3. The apparatus as specified in claim 1, wherein said drive means is `operatively associated with said rotatable member through an adjustable contact to permit regulation of the point of initial rotation of said notatable member.

4. The apparatus as specified in claim l, wherein said coupling means comprises a pawl pivoted on said anvil, a slot is provided on said bending member, said pawl is spring biased into engagement with said slot for arresting said pawl to `connect said bending member Ito said anvil, and said pawl `operates to contact lsaid stop to free said pawl from said slot and disconnect said bending member from said anvil.

5. The apparatus as specified in claim 4, wherein said pawl when freed from engagement with said slot permits said bending member to gravit-ate from contact with the bent portion of said lead wire.

6. Apparatus for bending a supported lead Wire of an electric lamp stem, said apparatus comprising:

(a) 'a carriage;

(b) mounting means reciprocable on said carriage;

(c) a rotatable member on said mounting means;

(d) an anvil affixed to said rotatable member;

(e) a :bending -member rotatable on said rotatable member;

(f) coupling means affixed to said anvil for rst connecting and later disconnecting said bending member Ifrom said anvil;

(g) iirst drive means connecting to said carriage for moving said anvil and said bending member about the portion of said lead Iwire desired to be bent;

(h) second drive means operatively associ-ated with said rotatable -member for causing rotation of said anvil and said bending member connected thereto; and

(i) stop means aixed to said apparatus for limiting the rotation of said bending member and for causing 4said coupling means `to disconnect said bending member from said anvil; the components comprising said apparatus coasting in the following fashion:

(l) rotation or said rotatable member by said second drive means through a predetermined angle causing said -bending mem-ber and said anvil to rotate and to bend through .a predetermined angle the portion of said lead wire positioned therebetween;

(2) further rotation of said rotatable member by said second drive means causing said coupling means to abut against said stop means and disconnect said bending member trom said anvil; and

(3) said bending member upon being disconnected from said anvil operating to move from contact with said supported lead wire to permit said apparatus to be moved from engagement with said supported lead wire.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,277,234 McKenna Aug. 27, 1918 1,305,990 Barry June 10', 1919 1,821,894 Otaka Sept. 1, 1931 2,082,079 Palucki June 1, 1937 2,677,398 Medendorp May 4, 1954 2,877,809 Zapf Mar. 17, 1959 

1. APPARATUS FOR BENDING A SUPPORTED LEAD WIRE OF AN ELECTRIC LAMP, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) MOUNTING MEANS; (B) A ROTATABLE MEMBER ON SAID MOUNTING MEANS; (C) AN ANVIL AFFIXED TO SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER; (D) A BENDING MEMBER ROTATABLE ON SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER, THE PORTION OF SAID LEAD WIRE DESIRED TO BE BENT POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID ANVIL AND SAID BENDING MEMBER; (E) COUPLING MEANS AFFIXED TO SAID ANVIL FOR FIRST CONNECTING AND LATER DISCONNECTING SAID BENDING MEMBER FROM SAID ANVIL; (F) DRIVE MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER FOR CAUSING ROTATION OF SAID ANVIL AND SAID BENDING MEMBER CONNECTED THERETO; AND (G) STOP MEANS AFFIXED TO SAID MOUNTING MEANS FOR LIMITING THE ROTATION OF SAID BENDING MEMBER AND FOR CAUSING SAID COUPLING MEANS TO DISCONNECT SAID BENDING MEMBER FROM SAID ANVIL; THE COMPONENTS COMPRISING SAID APPARATUS COACTING IN THE FOLLOWING FASHION: (1) ROTATION OF SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER BY SAID DRIVE MEANS THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ANGLE CAUSING SAID BENDING MEMBER AND SAID ANVIL TO ROTATE AND TO BEND THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ANGLE THE PORTION OF SAID LEAD WIRE POSITIONED THEREBETWEEN; (2) FURTHER ROTATION OF SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER BY SAID DRIVE MEANS CAUSING SAID COUPLING MEANS TO ABUT AGAINST SAID STOP MEANS AND DISCONNECT SAID BENDING MEMBER FROM SAID ANVIL; AND (3) SAID BENDING MEMBER UPON BEING DISCONNECTED FROM SAID ANVIL OPERATING TO MOVE FROM CONTACT WITH SAID SUPPORTED LEAD WIRE TO PERMIT SAID APPARATUS TO MOVE FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SUPPORTED LEAD WIRE. 